NBAhttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/nba
en-usTue, 03 Mar 2015 14:05:48 -0500Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:05:48 -0500The latest news on NBA from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/denver-nuggets-fire-brian-shaw-2015-3Denver Nuggets fire head coach after players seemingly turn on himhttp://www.businessinsider.com/denver-nuggets-fire-brian-shaw-2015-3
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:03:00 -0500William Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54f5fee3ecad042b7338ff4a-1041-781/brian-shaw.jpg" border="0" alt="brian shaw"></p><p>The Denver Nuggets have fired head coach Brian Shaw, the team <a href="http://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/nuggets-relieve-brian-shaw-head-coaching-duties">announced on Tuesday</a>.</p>
<p>The Nuggets have had a miserable season. They're 13th in the Western Conference at 20-39.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Throughout the year, there has been a public disconnect growing between Shaw and his players.</span></p>
<p>In February, <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/lunchspecial/ci_27449493/nuggets-brian-shaw-suspects-players-may-be-trying">Shaw openly wondered</a> if his team was trying to lose games, saying:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I'd have more respect if guys just told me they didn't feel like playing tonight from the start."</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">...</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I think it's hard to try to lose, try to tank, try to go out there with guys who are competing with you and not compete back. It's harder to do that than to just put forth the effort in the first place."</p>
<p>Later, as the trade deadline approached, <a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-trade-deadline-primer-2015-denver-nuggets-ty-lawson-kenneth-faried/">Zach Lowe reported</a> that basically any player on the Nuggets was available, and noted that Shaw and point guard Ty Lawson had clashed at times. Lowe also said that Shaw was considering getting rid of morning shoot-arounds because " players like the nightlife" — meaning Nuggets players weren't entirely up for preparing for games.</p>
<p>During a Nuggets-Lakers game, TNT sideline reporter Rachel Nichols reported that <a href="http://deadspin.com/brian-shaw-just-cant-relate-to-these-darn-kids-1685128187">Shaw admitted he was reading books</a> on how to motivate millennials:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Head coach Brian Shaw has acknowledged he's had some trouble communicating with his players, and it's gotten so bad that he told us he started reading some books on how to relate to millennials, or Generation Y players as he put it. Shaw said he's been frustrated that these players seem to need more praise than in his day, that they're easily distracted."</p>
<p>Most recently, players seemed to show their most outright form of mutiny. <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/dempsey/ci_27618378/hey-cancun-here-come-nuggets">Dempsey reported</a> that during the Nuggets' 22-point loss to the Utah Jazz Saturday night, players huddled and chanted, "1, 2, 3 — SIX!" referring to the six weeks remaining in the season. <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_27625828/nuggets-deny-six-weeks-phrase-meant-they-were">Shaw said after the game</a> that the chant referred to a speech he gave when he said the Nuggets haven't won a home game in six weeks.</p>
<p>The Nuggets are on pace to have their worst season since in over 10 years. While a combination of incompatible role players and injuries haven't made Shaw's job easier, it's been clear that the Nuggets need to move on.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/denver-nuggets-fire-brian-shaw-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intense-circuit-workout-plank-army-crawlers-push-ups-2015-3">Here's an easy fat-burning circuit workout you can do using only a line</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/markieff-morris-flagrant-foul-on-goran-dragic-2015-3A Phoenix Suns player was ejected for a hard foul on the ex-teammate who forced a trade 2 weeks agohttp://www.businessinsider.com/markieff-morris-flagrant-foul-on-goran-dragic-2015-3
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:57:00 -0500William Scott Davis
<p>Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic got his first look at his old team Monday night two weeks after <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/phoenix-suns-looking-to-trade-goran-dragic-2015-2">he demanded a trade</a>.</p>
<p>Before the trade deadline, Dragic told the Suns he wasn't going to re-sign as a free agent this summer, and asked for a trade to several teams — one of which was the Heat. After initially taking a hard line, the Suns eventually obliged and sent him to Miami.</p>
<p>In the third quarter, Dragic got a steal and took off for a fastbreak layup with former teammate, power forward Markieff Morris, chasing him from behind.</p>
<p>As Dragic went up for the layup, Morris came from behind and swatted at the ball, body-checking Dragic in midair and sending him flying to the baseline among the camera crews.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f5c5f76bb3f7fe48d2375e/markieff morris flagrant on goran dragic 1.gif" border="0" alt="Markieff Morris flagrant on Goran Dragic 1"></p>
<p>Dragic stayed down for several moments before getting back up. The officials went to the sidelines to review the call, and ruled it a flagrant 1, meaning Morris' contact was excessive and not directed at the ball.</p>
<p>Replays showed Morris took a subtle shot at Dragic's head.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f5c6596da811f565df0cf3/markieff morris flagrant on goran dragic 2.gif" border="0" alt="Markieff Morris flagrant on Goran Dragic 2">&nbsp;</p>
<p>A flagrant 1 isn't an eject-able offense, but it was Morris' second technical foul of the night, thus resulting in an ejection.</p>
<p>Tempers continued to flare later in the game. In the third quarter, Hassan Whiteside of the Heat and Alex Len of the Suns got into a shoving match under the basket that resulted in ejections as well.</p>
<p>The Heat got the last laugh, winning the game 115-98, with Dragic scoring 21 points in just 15 minutes.</p>
<p><span>Dragic, who was playing with back spasms,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20150302/PHXMIA/gameinfo.html?ls=slt">said after the game he probably wouldn't have played</a><span>&nbsp;if it was any other team.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/markieff-morris-flagrant-foul-on-goran-dragic-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/tom-thibodeau-playing-bulls-too-many-minutes-2015-3The Chicago Bulls have been decimated by injuries, and it might be their coach's faulthttp://www.businessinsider.com/tom-thibodeau-playing-bulls-too-many-minutes-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 18:37:00 -0500William Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54f4c57d6bb3f76a6494bcd5-1199-899/tom-thibs.jpg" border="0" alt="tom thibs"></p><p>The Chicago Bulls received awful news at the end of February when they <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/derrick-rose-injured-out-indefinitely-2015-2">lost Derrick Rose to another knee surgery</a> to repair a torn meniscus.</p>
<p>Rose is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, putting his return right around the end of the regular season.</p>
<p>The Bulls also learned Monday that breakout star <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-bulls-jimmy-butler-to-miss-extended-time-20150302-story.html">Jimmy Butler will miss three-to-six weeks&nbsp;</a>with a sprain in his elbow, and forward Taj Gibson is nursing a sprained ankle that could cause him to miss time.</p>
<p>This sort of thing has become routine for the Bulls. Each year they lose key players to injury (this is Rose's third knee surgery in four years), leaving some to question if it may be a result of Tom Thibodeau's coaching style.</p>
<p>In an era when players' minutes are monitored more closely than ever, Thibodeau continually plays his players higher minutes than the rest of the NBA. Butler leads all players in minutes per game this season at 38.7. Pau Gasol, at age 34, is averaging almost 35 per game (his highest in three years) and <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/3456/derrick-rose">Rose's minutes have gone up each month</a> of the season — 23 to 25 to 30 to 34 to 32 (before getting injured).</p>
<p>These aren't new trends for Thibodeau, either. Butler ranked second in minutes per game last year, and Joakim Noah averaged 35 minutes per night. Noah had to get knee surgery in the offseason and has seen a decline in his numbers this season.</p>
<p>In 2011-12 and 2012-13, former Bulls forward Luol Deng led the NBA in minutes per game with 39.4 and 38.7, respectively.</p>
<p>Thibodeau is not necessarily responsible for players' injuries — much of it could be freak accidents. But in recent years, player health and minutes per game have become much more closely linked than in the past. The Spurs have gone to great lengths to limit playing time for guys like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili during the regular season. This year, LeBron James is averaging 36.4 minutes per night — the lowest number of his career. Teams are simply scaling back minutes for their best players.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thibodeau <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/bulls/2015/01/29/tom-thibodeau-bulls-no-regrets/22520951/">rejected this idea that he overworks his players</a> in an interview with USA Today's Sam Amick:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"No. Listen, I've been around a long time. There are so many different ways to pace your team. Like everyone, (outsiders) look at minutes but they don't know what's going on in practice. They don't know how much contact you have (in practice). They don't know what your philosophy is in terms of days off. Is (practice) after back to backs? Is first day of a road trip? Is (practice) a day off after never more than three consecutive days? Whatever it might be, there's a lot that goes into it. But you also — if you're looking at performance and how you can get the best out of people — there's a reason why teams have success over a long period of time. You have to have core values. What do you believe in? Do you believe in hard work? Do you believe in discipline? Do you believe in conditioning? Because those are the things I know that do work."</p>
<p>Amick also quoted Thibodeau defending his team's success despite the glut of injures, though he doesn't acknowledge that a lesser workload could have kept the team healthy:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Our team has overcome a lot of obstacles. When you lose a Derrick Rose and a Joakim Noah and a Luol Deng, and you still manage to get into the playoffs, I thought it was terrific accomplishment for our team... You have to believe — to me, the only way a team can improve is you have to be sharp. The way you execute in this league is through repetition, and that's both offensively and defensively. You're not going to rest your way to success."</p>
<p>There have been reports of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chicago-bulls-slump-leads-to-thibodeau-quesitons-2015-2">internal strife with Thibodeau and the Bulls' management</a>, some of it related to the management of players' minutes.</p>
<p>Thibodeau is considered one of the best coaches in the NBA. His <a href="http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/25/hawks-see-their-offense-as-evolution-to-defeat-modern-defenses/">defensive schemes are considered revolutionary</a> by some, and his team consistently over-performs after losing key players.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Bulls, when healthy, are considered championship contenders every year. The problem is they're so infrequently healthy that they never get the chance to truly establish themselves, and they often limp into the postseason. This year doesn't look like an exception.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tom-thibodeau-playing-bulls-too-many-minutes-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spear-fishing-sturgeon-wisconsin-winter-ice-2015-2">These fishermen can’t wait to battle Wisconsin winters to catch this rare fish</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-michael-jordan-brand-nike-basketball-shoe-market-2015-3Michael Jordan still dominates the basketball shoe market and nobody else is even closehttp://www.businessinsider.com/chart-michael-jordan-brand-nike-basketball-shoe-market-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:32:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>More than a decade after playing in his final NBA game, Michael Jordan still sells more basketball shoes than any other player and it is not even close.</p>
<p>In 2013, Jordan branded shoes accounted for $2.5 billion in sales, up from $2.0 billion the previous year. The next four players accounted for just $565 million in shoe sales in 2013, led by LeBron James with $300 million in sales.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-nike-deal-believed-to-be-100-million-a-year-2015-3">Jordan is believed to take in about $100 million from his deal with Nike</a> and the Jordan Brand subsidiary. Jordan Brand on its own is the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nike-nba-shoes-sneakers-2015-2">third most popular shoe brand among NBA players</a> with 39 of 440 wearing Jordans, behind only Nike and Adidas.</p>
<p>The sales of shoes, apparel, and equipment by Jordan Brand has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-billionaire-2015-3">helped Jordan to crack Forbes' annual list of billionaires</a> for the first time this year.</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54f4d0f269beddc75de84a69-800-600/01-752.png" border="0" alt="Michael Jordan shoe sales chart"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-michael-jordan-brand-nike-basketball-shoe-market-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/how-michael-jordan-spends-his-money-2015-3MICHAEL JORDAN: How the richest NBA player ever spends his $1 billionhttp://www.businessinsider.com/how-michael-jordan-spends-his-money-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 15:29:30 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54f4c3716da8117e091805b7-1090-818/michael-jordan-nba-owner-2.jpg" border="0" alt="michael jordan nba owner"></p><p>Michael Jordan is on the Forbes list of billionaires for the first time.</p>
<p>Since he retired a decade ago, he has built one of the most successful, lucrative careers we've ever seen from a former athlete.</p>
<p>From sprawling houses to custom planes to his own golf course, he's clearly enjoying life after hoops.</p><h3>Jordan still makes more money than LeBron, Kobe, or any other active player.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54f4c3716da8117e091805b7-400-300/jordan-still-makes-more-money-than-lebron-kobe-or-any-other-active-player.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>&nbsp;</em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>He reportedly makes $100 million per year from Nike royalties alone.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5130fbffecad040c7f000002-400-300/he-reportedly-makes-100-million-per-year-from-nike-royalties-alone.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12407104/michael-jordan-makes-debut-forbes-world-billionaires-list">ESPN</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>That's way more than he made in salary while he played. He made $90.2 million TOTAL in NBA salary.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5130fa1569bedde416000005-400-300/thats-way-more-than-he-made-in-salary-while-he-played-he-made-902-million-total-in-nba-salary.jpg" alt="" />
<p><p><em>Source: <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jordami01.html">Basketball-Reference</a></em></p></p>
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-michael-jordan-spends-his-money-2015-3#his-net-worth-is-now-1-billion-thanks-to-the-skyrocketing-value-of-his-nba-team-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-black-mamba-nickname-2015-3Kobe Bryant created an alter-ego as a way to separate his personal and professional liveshttp://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-black-mamba-nickname-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 13:41:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54f4aabeeab8eabb516d9918-620-/kobe-bryant-50.jpg" border="0" alt="Kobe Bryant" width="620"></p><p>Kobe Bryant's nickname is "The Black Mamba," a name he gave himself. But for Bryant, the moniker is more than a nickname. It is an alter-ego he created to get through the darkest part of his life.</p>
<p>In his auto-documentary "Muse," Bryant reveals that he created The Black Mamba as a way to deal with the struggles he was going through off the court in 2003 and 2004.</p>
<p>"I went from a person who was at the top of his game, had everything coming, to a year later, having absolutely no idea where life is going or if you are even going to be a part of life as we all know it," Bryant said in the documentary.</p>
<p>In 2003, Bryant was <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/07/18/kobe.bryant/">charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in Colorado</a>. While Bryant does not mention the case directly, he does spend a good deal of time in the documentary talking about how close his family came to breaking up.</p>
<p>"I hear everything the crowd is saying. I hear it." Bryant says following a clip during which Boston Celtics fans can be heard chanting "Kobe sucks!" "So, it's like this place where it was my refuge is now being bombarded with all kinds of things they would say."</p>
<p>"I had to separate myself," Kobe explains. "It felt like there were so many things coming at once. It was just becoming very, very confusing. I had to organize things. So I created The Black Mamba."</p>
<p>Bryant went on to explain that "Kobe" was tasked with dealing with all his "personal challenges" and "The Black Mamba" handled business on the court.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54f4a744ecad041d3b7c881c-1200-720/30-18.png" border="0" alt="Kobe Bryant Muse"></p>
<p>Bryant went on to explain that the ferocity had nothing to do with his opponents and was more about the "battle that was going on within [himself]" and that the opponents were just in the way "and may get demolished in the process."</p>
<p>In 2011, Bryant and Nike created an extended commercial in which he discusses creating an action movie with director Robert Rodriguez based on the character The Black Mamba. Here is that video.</p>
<div><div>
<iframe width="720" height="405" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sPw6hvYC-p4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-black-mamba-nickname-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-nike-deal-believed-to-be-100-million-a-year-2015-3Michael Jordan still makes $100 million a year off his sneaker dealhttp://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-nike-deal-believed-to-be-100-million-a-year-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 13:05:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51d1ea016bb3f78d6300001e-1200-900/michael-jordan-cigar-golfing.jpg" border="0" alt="michael jordan cigar golfing"></p><p>Michael Jordan is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-billionaire-2015-3">worth $1 billion</a>, according to Forbes.</p>
<p>Jordan retired in 2003, but he continues to outpace the world's biggest active athletes when it comes to earnings.</p>
<p>Jordan Brand, a Nike subsidiary born out of his original sneaker deal in 1984, is a dominant force in the sneaker business. The brand brings in $2.5 billion a year in sales, <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/102006650">industry expert Matt Powell told CNBC in September</a>, and has a 58% market share.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For comparison, LeBron's signature sneakers accounted for $300 million in sales in 2013, according to Powell.</p>
<p>ESPN's Darren Rovell reports that it's believed<a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12407104/michael-jordan-makes-debut-forbes-world-billionaires-list"> Jordan makes $100 million per year in Jordan Brand royalties</a>. Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2014/02/27/how-michael-jordan-made-90-million-in-2013/">put the number at $90 million</a> in 2013.</p>
<p>That's more than the <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jordami01.html#salaries::none">$90.2 million</a> Jordan made in total salary during his NBA career. It's also more than the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45eimdj/1-floyd-mayweather-8/">$72 million LeBron made in salary and endorsements combined in 2014</a>.</p>
<p>Nike's footwear revenues increased by 12% in 2014. In <a href="http://investors.nike.com/files/doc_financials/2014/docs/nike-2014-form-10K.pdf">the company's annual report</a>, Nike attributed this growth to "increased demand for performance products,&nbsp;including NIKE and Brand Jordan Basketball styles."</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-nike-deal-believed-to-be-100-million-a-year-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-quotes-documentary-muse-2015-3The 14 most inspirational quotes and moments from Kobe Bryant's auto-documentary, 'Muse'http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-quotes-documentary-muse-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:28:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54f4834a6da811cd341805b7-620-/kobe-bryant-muse-1.jpg" alt="Kobe Bryant Muse" border="0" width="620"></p><p>Kobe Bryant's auto-documentary, "Muse," made it's debut on Showtime on Saturday.</p>
<p>The film take a look at many of the challenges Kobe has faced in his career, from moving back to the United States as a teenager and barely being able to write English, to skipping college, to troubles with his marriage and the struggle to prove he could succeed without Shaquille O'Neal as a teammate.</p>
<p>The constant struggles provided Bryant with numerous moments of inspiration for himself that could also be used by others.</p>
<p>Here are the best quotes and moments from "Muse."</p><h3>On success.</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54f47c256da8115c161805b9-400-300/on-success.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>On constantly moving around as a child as his dad played professional basketball in Europe.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f48e07eab8ea120d6d991a-400-300/on-constantly-moving-around-as-a-child-as-his-dad-played-professional-basketball-in-europe.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>On playing with rage.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f48052ecad0495577c882a-400-300/on-playing-with-rage.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-quotes-documentary-muse-2015-3#on-skipping-college-and-going-straight-from-high-school-to-the-nba-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-billionaire-2015-3Michael Jordan is a billionairehttp://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-billionaire-2015-3
Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:45:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/52bc63f169bedd7b238492c0-745-558/michael-jordan-bobcats-owner-4.jpg" border="0" alt="michael jordan bobcats owner"></p><p>Michael Jordan&nbsp;<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2015/03/02/record-290-newcomers-join-forbes-billionaires-list-including-michael-jordan/">has been added to the Forbes list of billionaires</a>.</p>
<p>He's now the 513th-richest person in the United States with <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-jordan/">a net worth of an even $1.0 billion</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-nba-franchise-values-are-skyorcketing-2014-6">skyrocketing values of NBA franchises</a>&nbsp;is the main reason Jordan broke the $1 billion mark.</p>
<p>He owns the Charlotte Hornets, which saw its value increase from $410 million last year to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/nba-valuations/list/">$725 million this year</a>&nbsp;after the Los Angeles Clippers' $2 billion sale to Steve Ballmer.</p>
<p>Jordan's stake in the team is worth $500 million, according to Forbes.</p>
<p>Jordan <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5003048">bought the team for $275 million in 2010</a>. That is looking like a wise investment, especially <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nba-salary-cap-increase-2014-10">considering the league's massive new TV deal with ESPN and Turner</a>. In the deal, which begins in 2016, the networks will pay the NBA an average of $2.66 billion per year.&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">They paid about $930 million per year under the old deal. That works out to an extra $57 million in revenue per year for MJ's Hornets.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Jordan bought the team when franchise values were stagnating. They have since exploded:</span></p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54c0217c6da811b73ddac330-800-600/01-713.png" border="0" alt="NBA Franchise Values Chart"></p>
<p>The rest of Jordan's worth comes from his Nike deal, which <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2015/03/02/record-290-newcomers-join-forbes-billionaires-list-including-michael-jordan/">earned him $90 million in 2013 alone</a>.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-jordan-billionaire-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-garnett-minnesota-timberwolves-dancing-fan-jiggly-boy-2015-3Kevin Garnett had a fantastic reaction to a dancing fan in his first game back with the Timberwolveshttp://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-garnett-minnesota-timberwolves-dancing-fan-jiggly-boy-2015-3
Sun, 01 Mar 2015 16:07:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54f37f5c6da811655c473800-620-/kevin-garnett-1.png" border="0" alt="Kevin Garnett" width="620"></p><p></p>
<p>Prior to the NBA's trade deadline, Kevin Garnett was dealt back to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team with which he spent the first 12 years of his career.</p>
<p>The move was a homecoming for Garnett as it united him with a fan base that still loves him as he transitions into his post-playing career that will most likely include his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-garnett-wants-to-buy-the-timberwolves-2015-2">purchasing a piece of the Timberwolves franchise</a>.</p>
<p>Needless to say, the fans went crazy during Garnett's first game back with the T-Wolves. But outside of the pregame introductions, the crowd hit its fever pitch when "Jiggly Boy" took off his shirt during a timeout and danced for the crowd with "Welcome Home KG" on his chest.</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="404" frameborder="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/l3YefWQ.gifv#embed"></iframe></p>
<p>Garnett watched the dance routine as he returned to the court and at one point embarrassingly acknowledged the tribute.</p>
<p><iframe width="100%" height="404" frameborder="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/DUccbgU.gifv#embed"></iframe></p>
<p>But you will want to watch the full video to catch the full reaction from the crowd. It's great.</p>
<div><div>
<iframe width="720" height="405" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6_tnQdHU7Vg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-garnett-minnesota-timberwolves-dancing-fan-jiggly-boy-2015-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-mason-has-died-2015-2Former NBA player Anthony Mason has died at age 48http://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-mason-has-died-2015-2
Sat, 28 Feb 2015 10:24:00 -0500Leah Goldman
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54f1db786da811fc663b1ae4-1200-924/anthony-mason.jpg" border="0" alt="anthony mason"></p><p>Anthony Mason, who spent 13 years playing in the NBA <a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/12397807/anthony-mason-former-new-york-knick-forward-dies-48">has died at age 48</a>, according to ESPN.</p>
<p>Mason was diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the beginning of February and <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/former-nba-standout-anthony-mason-dies-at-48-152910120.html">died early Saturday after suffering a heart attack</a>, according to Yahoo. Mason had undergone several surgeries this week.</p>
<p>Mason's son Anthony Mason Jr. released the following statement:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"First I want to thank all those who offered prayers and well-wishes for my Father, our family really appreciates it. Overnight, New York City and the world lost a legend, a friend, a brother ... but more than anything our father, Anthony Mason. As you all would expect our father -- Big Mase -- put up an incredible fight, dealing with a severe heart issue. I'm wishing this was something else I was writing, but Pops we've got to let you know we love you and know you'll always be with us."</span></p>
<p><span>Mason spent five years with the New York Knicks and helped lead them to the NBA finals in 1994. In his next season with the Knicks he received the NBA's sixth man award. Mason, who hailed from Queens, New York, was a fan favorite during his 5 years with the Knicks.</span></p>
<p><span><span>Don Cronson, Mason's agent, told ESPN:</span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span><span>"Anthony was a multifaceted individual. There were many aspects to his personality, and some that people weren't aware of. In the best sense of the term he was a momma's boy. From the day I met him he was always thinking of his mom and taking care of her. As rough and tough as he was, Anthony was also a doting father, and I saw that many times.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In January, Mason went on Eddie Mata's "Where are they now in sports," YouTube show. Mason, who was known for his hard work during his years in the NBA told Mata: "My work ethic is what made me, I never took time off. Even once I made it pro, I played all summer."</span></span></span></p>
<div><div>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/--PYkdAZUxw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"> The forward was also known for always having words shaved in is hair.</p>
<div><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>
Anthony Mason, in 1996, getting "Point God" shaved into his head (H/T <a href="https://twitter.com/si_vault">@SI_Vault</a>) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPMase?src=hash">#RIPMase</a> <a href="http://t.co/UVEQahiRKY">pic.twitter.com/UVEQahiRKY</a> </p>— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/571696372090605570">February 28, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p><span><span><span> </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">The NBA world is sending its condolences:</span></p>
<div><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>
RIP Anthony Mason </p>— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/571685970581463040">February 28, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<div><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>
R.I.P Anthony Mason </p>— Isiah Thomas (@iamisiahthomas) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/571687643077058560">February 28, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<div><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>
Praying for the Family, Friends, and Fans of My former teammate Anthony Mason. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPBro?src=hash">#RIPBro</a> </p>— Mark Jackson (@MarkJackson13) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/571682885096194048">February 28, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-mason-has-died-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/people-prefer-potential-2015-2The science of impressing people has nothing to do with your accomplishmentshttp://www.businessinsider.com/people-prefer-potential-2015-2
Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:41:00 -0500Drake Baer
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54f0e43b6da811113e4cae2e-600-/eddie-redmayne-4.jpg" border="0" alt="Eddie Redmayne" width="600" style="float: right;"></p><p>We usually think that the best way to impress someone is to rattle off a list of accomplishments: won this award, made this project a success, took a team from here to there.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But <a href="http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/tormala%20jia%20norton_b87536ee-13dd-464f-a65a-8dff3f6c5f8b.pdf" target="_blank">a Stanford-Harvard study</a>&nbsp;recently cited on <a href="http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2015/02/the-preference-for-potential.html" target="_blank">Marginal Revolution</a>&nbsp;suggests that accomplishments aren't what capture people's attention — rather, it's a person's perceived potential.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Compared with references to achievement (e.g., 'this person&nbsp;has won an award for his work'), references to potential (e.g., 'this person could win an award for his&nbsp;work') appear to stimulate greater interest and processing, which can translate into more favorable&nbsp;reactions," write authors&nbsp;Zakary Tormala, Jayson Jia, and Michael Norton.&nbsp;</p>
<p>They came to these conclusions after conducting eight experiments.</p>
<p>In one, participants predicted the salary, scoring average, and likelihood of making the all-star team for a fictional NBA player — in one case he was fresh out of college, in another he was a five-year veteran. And guess what?&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The rookie got higher ratings across the board than the vet.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54f0a96d6da8111a66db7ca1-668-739/screen%20shot%202015-02-27%20at%2011.33.00%20am.png" border="0" alt="potential over accomplishment graph" style="float: right;">In another, the experimenters ran two eight-day advertisements on Facebook for the comedian&nbsp;Kevin Shea. Clicking on the ad directed users to a fan page for Shea, where the user could become a fan.</p>
<p>In both advertisements, highlighting Shea's potential (<span>"By this time next year, everyone could be talking about Kevin Shea") was significantly more effective than noting his achievements (<span>"Everyone is talking about Kevin Shea"). The potential frame yielded not only more clicks, but more people signed up as fans.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>What's going on here?</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>According to&nbsp;Tormala, Jia, and Norton, p</span></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">otential implies uncertainty. When given the right framing, many people find uncertainty appealing.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span><span>"<strong>This uncertainty appears to be more cognitively engaging than reflecting on what is already known to be true</strong>," the authors write.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Since you think about it more, you like it more.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"The uncertainty surrounding potential stimulates interest and processing, which attunes people to the information available and gives it more impact," they write. "When that information is compelling ... the result is a more favorable attitude or impression."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The applications for this finding are practical:&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">• When pitching yourself to an employer, talk about what you could bring to the company — after all, your resume already lists your accomplishments.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">• When making a recommendation, emphasize what could be, since it's more likely to engage the interest of recruiters, employers, and university administrators.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Add that to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-people-to-take-you-seriously-2014-12">the quirks that make people more impressive.</a></span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-people-to-take-you-seriously-2014-12" >9 Proven Ways To Get People To Take You Seriously</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/people-prefer-potential-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/nba-highest-salaries-2015-2Most of the NBA's highest-paid players aren't worth ithttp://www.businessinsider.com/nba-highest-salaries-2015-2
Fri, 27 Feb 2015 16:14:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>Because of the NBA's salary cap system, the players that are hurt most often are the best players in the league. A perfect example is LeBron James who is just the 5th highest-paid player in the NBA.</p>
<p>However, this season, thanks to a bunch of injuries to some of the best players, 11 of the 12 highest-paid players have been overpaid this season. The lone exception is Chris Paul.</p>
<p>Below is look at the expected salaries for the 12 highest-paid players in the NBA. A player's expected salary is how much of each team's payroll would go to the player based on their percentage of the team's total production (production is measured by Win Shares <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com">via Basketball-Reference.com</a>).</p>
<p>The most overpaid player in the NBA this season has been Kobe Bryant who will make $23.5 million despite playing in only playing in 35 games and producing just 1.2% of the Lakers' Win Shares.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54f0c5da6bb3f7345acb781e-800-700/01-750.png" border="0" alt="NBA Salaries Chart"></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nba-highest-salaries-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-makes-mvp-statement-in-warriors-win-2015-2LeBron James showed up 2 1/2 hours early before destroying the best team in the NBAhttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-makes-mvp-statement-in-warriors-win-2015-2
Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:09:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img class="full" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54dd02756da811e1458b4569-1199-771/lebron-james-nba.jpg" border="0" alt="lebron james nba"></p><p>Before the performance that got him back into the MVP race and pulled the white-hot Cavaliers into the No. 3 seed in the East, LeBron James was on the court early.</p>
<p>He got to Quicken Loans Arena at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for an 8 o'clock game, according to widespread reports. He was the only guy getting up shots two and a half hours before the game:</p>
<div><div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>
More than 2 hours before tip, and Lebron James is the only one practicing. A report coming up at 6. <a href="http://t.co/hX0Pzbu9vd">pic.twitter.com/hX0Pzbu9vd</a> </p>— David Holmes (@DaveHolmesTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/571078523399610368">February 26, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p>The Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors, the team with the best record in the NBA, 110-99. They are now 18-3 since LeBron <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-on-fire-since-injury-break-2015-2">disappeared to Florida as part of a two-week break to rest his ailing knees and back.</a></p>
<p>LeBron scored a season-high 42 points and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds. </p>
<div><div>
<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/O2vM9TbMiL7/embed/simple?audio=0" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0">
</iframe>
<script async src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p>
<p>It fit every definition of a statement game, for both the Cavs and LeBron. It was on national TV. It was against the best team in the league. It came after a month of dominance from the Cavaliers that needed only a signature win to cap it off.</p>
<p>Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, one of the best Cavs writers, <a href="http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-1.275356/cavs-110-warriors-99-jason-lloyd-s-31-thoughts-on-lebron-s-mvp-candidacy-kyrie-s-injury-1.570325#.VPBfdTIPbu0.twitter">floated a theory after the game</a> that LeBron's performance was motivated by the popular consensus that Golden State's Stephen Curry is the front-runner for MVP.</p>
<p>Lloyd described a panel in New York City during All-Star weekend in which LeBron was awkwardly forced to say Curry was the MVP favorite:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">At one point, a discussion about the MVP race surfaced. NBA TV's Matt Winer, the event's moderator, referred to James as a four-time MVP and to Curry as the favorite to win it this year. I wasn't taking notes so I'm paraphrasing here, but James paused before offering a flimsy endorsement, agreeing with the idea Curry is the favorite to win. I remember thinking at the time, "There is absolutely no way he actually believes that." His performance Thursday perhaps introduced his candidacy for a late run at a fifth trophy of his own.</p>
<p>LeBron lost the MVP race to Kevin Durant last year. He has been largely absent from the discussion this year, getting overshadowed by Curry, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook as the Cavs limped out to a disappointing start.</p>
<p>He is still considered the best player in the world, but the NBA has a long history of holding the best player in the world to a higher standard than everyone else when it comes to the MVP race. Michael Jordan lost to Karl Malone in 1997. Kobe Bryant lost to Steve Nash in 2006.</p>
<p>It is not enough for LeBron to simply match the numbers put up by Curry and Harden; he has to be transcendent.</p>
<p>"If you ask me, there's no discussion about the MVP if he's not involved in it," Blatt <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-cavaliers/post/_/id/507/with-something-to-prove-cavs-soar-higher">told ESPN's Dave McMenamin</a> after the game.</p>
<div><div>
<iframe class="vine-embed" src="https://vine.co/v/O2vMT13YTdV/embed/simple?audio=0" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0">
</iframe>
<script async src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer">The Cavaliers are only two games back of the No. 2 seed. That 19-20 start feels like a distant memory, and LeBron's resurgence as the league's most dominant force is a huge reason why.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-makes-mvp-statement-in-warriors-win-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-2015-2LeBron James' first season back in Cleveland is starting to look a lot like his first season in Miamihttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-2015-2
Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:06:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers' season got off to a slow start, hit a big bump in the middle, and people wondered if the team's makeup was a mistake. However, ever since LeBron James' 8-game mini-vacation during which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-on-fire-since-injury-break-2015-2">he didn't touch a basketball</a> and ever since coach <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/david-blatt-cavs-bowling-2015-2">David Blatt took the team bowling instead of practice</a>, the Cavs are red hot and on a run similar to one the Miami Heat went on in LeBron's first season in South Beach.</p>
<p>Over their last 19 games, the Cavs are 17-2 and are outscoring their opponents by 12.3 points per game. After a rough start to the Big 3's first run in Miami, the Heat went on a similar 21-1 run during which they outscored their opponents by 12.2 points per game.</p>
<p>The Heat were able to maintain that momentum all the way to the NBA Finals. We don't know yet if this year's Cavs will do the same, but this is the first good sign that they can.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54ef84e86bb3f7095086bccb-800-600/03-54.png" border="0" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers Chart"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/russell-westbrook-leading-oklahoma-city-thunder-2015-2The Oklahoma City Thunder have become the scariest team in the NBA — and Russell Westbrook is at the center of ithttp://www.businessinsider.com/russell-westbrook-leading-oklahoma-city-thunder-2015-2
Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:36:00 -0500William Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/524db62a6bb3f77f0ce26a39-1200-900/russell-westbrook-8.jpg" border="0" alt="Russell Westbrook"></p><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder have won seven games in a row and nine of their last 10.</p>
<p>When Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant got hurt in November and the team got off the a 3-12 start, many thought the Thunder would need the rest of the season to claw their way back into the playoff race in the loaded Western Conference.</p>
<p>Instead, they've erased that deficit with 25 games to play. They have a two-game lead for the 8th seed, and only<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;trail the Spurs by two games for the 7th seed.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Much of their hot streak has to do with Westbrook, who's putting up unreal numbers in February. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For the month, he's averaging a near triple-double with 29.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per game while shooting an efficient 48% from the field, 38% from three.</span></p>
<p>The Thunder's last three wins have come with Kevin Durant sidelined, putting the burden of carrying the team on Westbrook.</p>
<p>Westbrook puts constant pressure on the defense. During this hot streak, he has continued to attack the basket, particularly in transition where his speed and strength make him nearly impossible to stop:</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54ef667669bedddf3786bcc7/russell westbrook transition.gif" border="0" alt="Russell Westbrook transition"></p>
<p>More impressive has been his playmaking in February, where the defensive attention he commands has let him set up teammates for easy baskets:</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54ef6830ecad04ff2a86bcce/russell westbrook pnr.gif" border="0" alt="Russell Westbrook PnR"></p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54ef6852ecad04fd2a86c0b9/russell westbrook alley-oop pass.gif" border="0" alt="Russell Westbrook alley oop pass"></p>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/okc-thunder/post/_/id/330/could-this-be-thunders-deepest-team-ever">ESPN's Royce Young says</a> much of the Thunder's turnaround can be attributed to a change in leadership from Westbrook.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-trade-deadline-2015-2">Thunder won the trade deadline</a> last week with a flurry of moves that revamped their bench. According to Young, Westbrook has taken it upon himself to help his new teammates assimilate, and lessened his aggression toward teammates on the court.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Westbrook was once a hot-headed, moody point guard who would snap at teammates and rarely accept responsibility. He was as difficult to get along with off the floor as he often was to play with on it. Westbrook takes pride in the fact he plays angry, but now he seems to be channeling that in the right direction. Namely, at his opponent.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The only way the Thunder's recent trade deadline swap works as quickly as it has is with Westbrook taking charge to assimilate the new pieces himself. He's made it a point to look for Kanter as much as possible, constantly keeping the big man engaged. Without Durant, Westbrook has taken charge in huddles, encouraging teammates nonstop.</p>
<p>Westbrook's play and the Thunder's depth (even without Durant) makes them the scariest team in the NBA. They'll likely lock up a lower playoff seed, meaning one of the top four teams in the West is going to have to play them in the first round.</p>
<p>In the coming weeks, the Thunder could be fully healthy, with a new, deep bench and two MVP candidates in Durant and Westbrook. They're the team nobody will want to see in March and April and with good reason.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-trade-deadline-2015-2#ixzz3SsYNdLRO" >The Oklahoma City Thunder won the trade deadline by trading 2 guys they were about to lose for nothing</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russell-westbrook-leading-oklahoma-city-thunder-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-reality-sports-live-stream-oculus-rift-piperjaffrey-2015-2Facebook's virtual reality headset is going to transform the way we watch sports (FB)http://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-reality-sports-live-stream-oculus-rift-piperjaffrey-2015-2
Thu, 26 Feb 2015 08:09:00 -0500Rob Price
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54ef1b1edd0895003d8b464c-1200-924/courtside-nba-game.jpg" border="0" alt="courtside NBA game"></p><p>Facebook is poised to transform the way people consume sport and profit hugely in the process, thanks to the company's virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. That is the verdict in a new internal company note by the US investment bank Piper Jaffrey.</p>
<p>Most of the excitement about Oculus Rift,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-to-buy-oculus-rift-for-2-billion-2014-3">acquired by Facebook for $2 billion in March</a>, is focused on video gaming. It is easy to see how the virtual reality headset is going to revolutionise gaming and create far more immersive game worlds than ever before. But there are also very significant avenues for profit in the world of professional sports.</p>
<p>A courtside seat at a sports game — especially a major one — is extremely highly valued. At the NBA finals, <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/06/20/courtside-seats-at-nba-finals-game-7-selling-for-30k-apiece/">they can sell for more than $30,000 a pop</a>. Oculus Rift and other virtual reality vendors are developing the technology to produce an "infinite seat," Piper Jaffrey says, which "they could sell an infinite number of times."</p>
<p>Of course, these virtual seats would not go for nearly as much as the real deal, but it is easy to see that thousands of people (at least!) would be willing to spend some money to have an immersive, real-time, courtside experience at a sports game. There would be literally no limit on the number of people you could fit in the stadium, so to speak, and this makes Oculus Rift a "significant long term opportunity."</p>
<p>This isn't just abstract posturing: Sports organisations are actively looking into the possibility. The NBA is running at least four events in the near future on Samsung's virtual reality streaming service. The NHL and the NFL have done live virtual reality streaming tests. And NBA commissioner Adam Silver has personally made enquires at Stanford University as to how far off virtual reality courtside seats are.</p>
<p>So how far away are they? Piper Jaffrey estimates we should see "live streaming photo realistic courtside seats" within eight to 10 years — though time-lagged broadcasts may be even sooner.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-reality-sports-live-stream-oculus-rift-piperjaffrey-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/oculus-rift-facebook-video-2014-3">We Tried The Oculus Rift — The Company Facebook Is Buying For $2 Billion</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-grantland-2015-2Kobe Bryant explains when he first realized he was different from other NBA playershttp://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-grantland-2015-2
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 15:17:00 -0500Cork Gaines
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54ee0ea069bedd43716d7e1a-936-468/bill-simmons-and-kobe-bryant.png" border="0" alt="Bill Simmons and Kobe Bryant"></p><p></p>
<p>Kobe Bryant was recently a guest on Bill Simmons' "Grantland Basketball Hour" on ESPN to promote the upcoming release of his documentary, "Muse."</p>
<p>During the episode, Bryant spent a lot of time discussing his philosophies on basketball and life and how he came to be such a fierce competitor.</p>
<p>One of the more fascinating moments came when co-host Jalen Rose asked Bryant when he first realized that nobody would out-work him.</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54ee0c7f69bedd61696d7e1b-1200-800/04-27.png" border="0" alt="Kobe Bryant Quote"></p>
<p>It's often easy to dismiss greatness as being based on talent alone. But Kobe highlights a recurring theme among all-time great players that is often overlooked, an obsession for their sport that is unmatched with Bryant referring to basketball as "the only thing."</p>
<p>Bryant only started six games and averaged only 15.5 minutes per game as an 18-year-old rookie who had only been living in the United States for five years. But his obsessiveness for the game eventually paid off and now he is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-grantland-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-son-being-recruited-by-colleges-2015-2LeBron James' 10-year-old son is already being recruited by collegeshttp://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-son-being-recruited-by-colleges-2015-2
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:49:00 -0500William Scott Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/54edf798ecad04e93503c987-934-700/lebron-james-jr.png" border="0" alt="LeBron James Jr."></p><p>LeBron James' 10-year-old son, LeBron James Jr., already has several basketball highlight videos on YouTube.</p>
<p>Much like his dad, James Jr. is tall and quick, and he has the ability to take defenders off the dribble and find open teammates.</p>
<p>He's also in fourth grade.</p>
<p><a href="http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/02/24/lebron-james-10-year-old-son-already-has-college-offers/">Mike Sullivan of CBS Detroit</a> asked James whether James Jr. had heard from any colleges. He apparently has, and LeBron isn't too happy about it. He told Sullivan:</p>
<p>"Yeah, he's already got some offers from colleges, it's pretty crazy. It should be a violation; you shouldn't be recruiting 10-year-old kids."</p>
<p>James also said he marveled at the way his son plays like him, noting a pass-first mentality.</p>
<p>"<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It's crazy, he plays just like I did," James said. "He has great awareness, and he'd rather pass first and set guys up. Most kids nowadays just want to score."</span></p>
<p>Watching James Jr. is indeed crazy. He has a very controlled handle on the basketball that makes him look much older than he is:</p>
<p><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54edf4f66da811775979c087/lebron james jr gif.gif" border="0" alt="lebron james jr gif"></p>
<p>&nbsp;And, like his dad, he sees the floor and can make the highlight play:</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/54edf546ecad04de3003c98b/lebron james jr gif 2.gif" border="0" alt="lebron james jr gif 2"></p>
<p>Again, he's only in fourth grade, so college recruits should maybe pump the brakes. A scouting website already has <a href="http://middleschoolelite.com/2014/10/13/mse-top-50-national-player-rankings-for-4th-grade-class-of-2023/">James Jr. listed as the No. 1 prospect</a> for the class of 2023.</p>
<p>He'll no doubt get national recruiting attention by the time he is in high school, but it is understandable that LeBron isn't happy it has already begun.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-son-being-recruited-by-colleges-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cristiano-ronaldo-real-madrid-surprise-football-2015-1">Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-sanders-walking-away-2015-2NBA player who made $30 million explains why he's quitting at age 26http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-sanders-walking-away-2015-2
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 12:59:00 -0500Tony Manfred
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/526ec4d7eab8ea07208b4567-1200-900/larry-sanders.jpg" border="0" alt="larry sanders"></p><p>Milwaukee Bucks forward Larry Sanders has walked away from basketball after five years in the league, agreeing to a buyout with the team after the trade deadline.</p>
<p>Sanders had three years remaining on a $44 million contract. He <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/larry-sanders-reportedly-has-reached-a-buyout-agreement-with-the-milwaukee-bucks-172604169.html">left around $21 million on the table</a> in the buyout.</p>
<p>Sanders, age 26, has had a host of issues on and off the court since signing that contract in 2013. In <a href="http://www.theplayerstribune.com/larry-sanders-exclusive-interview/">a video on the Players' Tribune</a>, Sanders said that he got treatment for depression, anxiety, and a mood disorder at Rogers Memorial Hospital after leaving the team in December.</p>
<p>He explained that the job didn't make him happy, despite the money that goes along with it:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I think this is seen to be a desirable, lucrative job or position. People say, 'How could you be unhappy there? How could that be a place you don't want to be?' The values and the relationships of the people I love around me are my real riches. That's my lasting wealth."</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/bucks/passion-and-creativity-part-of-the-game-and-life-for-bucks-larry-sanders-098hl3r-188624181.html">a profile by Lori Nickel in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel</a>, Sanders didn't start playing basketball until 10th grade. He was more into skateboarding growing up. He told the paper that he wanted to study art in college, but he couldn't because of basketball.</p>
<p>He opens <a href="http://www.theplayerstribune.com/larry-sanders-exclusive-interview/">his Players' Tribune video</a> with the statement, "I'm Larry Sanders. I'm a person. I'm a father. I'm an artist. I'm a writer. I'm a painter. I'm a musician. And sometimes I play basketball."</p>
<p>He also alluded to the problems sudden fortune have made for him:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Coming into the league, you get dropped this large amount of money out of nowhere. People automatically change around you. That just happens. You become an ATM to some people. You have to be correct in your statements. You have to state things in a certain way. You give up your freedom of speech. You can't really say how you feel. There's no one really trying to teach you what you should do and what you shouldn't do. You get lost, get your money stolen. You come from not having anything to money having to add up to possession."</p>
<p>Sanders ultimately made around $31 million in NBA salary when you include the buyout.</p>
<p>Here's the full video:</p>
<div><div>
<iframe width="620" height="349" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RhnCna8DtEg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></div>
<p class="embed-spacer"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-sanders-walking-away-2015-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>